Holy Scriptures and Israel

Intro Voiceover: Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now, teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective, here is Gideon Levytam.

Gideon Levytam: The study of the book of Malachi, chapter 2. Look at the difference between the days of old, how it all began, and look at the way it is right now. In verse 4, notice that God sent a commandment, and He pointed to the covenant that He once made with the tribe of Levi. He says in verse 4, "You shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, says the Lord of hosts."

I've sent to you priests now to realize and to remember that my covenant that I made with the tribe of Levi years earlier. If you want to enjoy that covenant, you have to submit to me because I have made a covenant with the tribe of Levi, or Levi in Hebrew. I made an agreement, a covenant with the tribe of Levi. In a sense, He takes the priests all the way back in their history and He reminds them how God selected the tribe of Levi to be the tribe that serves God and ministers among the people of Israel.

Let me just for a moment remind you that Levi was one of the sons of Jacob. Jacob, if you remember, had two wives, Leah and Rachel. The son Levi was one of the sons from Leah. He was the one that was born to Leah, one of the mothers of our people, the people of Israel. Levi later on, if you remember, when Levi's sister was taken by another man from the nations around, and he took her, Dinah. In Hebrew we say Dinah. They violated Dinah.

Levi and Simeon were so angry that they told the people of Hamor there that if they are going to be part now of the nation of Israel, they all have to be circumcised. After they were willing to be circumcised, what Levi and Simeon did was they killed all those people because they violated their sister Dinah and they dishonored the God of Israel. Jacob their father was not happy with that, and Jacob said to them, "You have put me to shame in what you have done." He was not happy with them and their deeds at all. They ended up fleeing from this area. We can find it in the book of Genesis in chapter 34 and on.

In chapter 49, when Jacob blessed them, he reminded them, Levi, what they had done, that they had killed all those descendants of Shechem and Hamor because they violated their sister Dinah. But time passes by, and you remember Jacob ended up being in Egypt, in Mitzrayim. Then our forefathers had been in Egypt for over 400 years. They were away from the Promised Land for over 400 years. Finally, God had brought the people of Israel outside of Egypt, and now they have arrived at the mountain that is called Mount Sinai.

There, by the time that they were at Mount Sinai, God had given the commandments, the law, to our forefathers, the people of Israel. Now, while Moses went up to Mount Sinai and he delayed his coming, if you remember—and I would like you for a moment to turn with me to Exodus chapter 32—Moses did not come right away. It took some time. He was 40 days and 40 nights there on the mountain. Now because he delayed his coming, Israel was so anxious that they said to Aaron, "You know what? We have to build for ourselves a golden calf. We need a god. Make us a god."

So Aaron took all their earrings and all that gold that they had, and he formed for them and he made an idol, the golden calf. Now by that time, God is saying to Moses, "Listen, look what your people have done." Then He sent him down. It says in verse 15 of Exodus 32, "And Moses turned and he went down from the mountain and the two tables of testimony were in his hand. The tables were written on both of their sides; on the one side and on the other side were they written."

Then we read what happens in verse 19. When Moses came and saw what Israel had done, building a golden calf and saying, "This is the god that brought you out of Egypt." It says that as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing, and Moses' anger waxed hot. He cast the tablets out of his hand and he broke them beneath the mount. He took the calf which they had made and he burned it in fire and he ground it to powder and he strewed it upon the water and he made the children of Israel to drink it.

When you read just a little bit further, as you read in verse 26 of Exodus 32, Moses stood in the gate of the camp and he said, "Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me." Notice what happened. All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him and he said unto them, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel, put every man his sword by his side and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp and slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbor."

The children of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people that day about 3,000 men. What the tribe of Levi did when Moses said, "Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me," the Levites, the whole tribe of Levi, took side with God against themselves and the rest of the nation. They took swords and they killed their own brethren who had dishonored God. They had taken a stand for God in those days against their own brethren. Now you and I will say whatever you want to say today, how could they do such a thing?

In the days where God had given the law to our forefathers, to the people of Israel, that's what Moses commanded him to do against his very own people who had sinned so grievously against the God of Israel. Levi took a stand for God. Sometime later passed by and there was again another disorder in the land among the people of Israel. In Numbers chapter 25, again the people of Israel abused themselves by allowing themselves to be influenced by the daughters of Moab.

They ended up committing whoredoms there in the camp right there beside the Lord, beside Moses, and beside the rest of the people of Israel. The Bible tells us in Numbers chapter 25 that the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. This is chapter 25 and verse 1. What happened there? Even at that time, God was so displeased with the children of Israel that God had, you might say, demanded judgment upon His own people who were going around and abusing themselves and causing all kind of havoc in the camp.

Behold, one of the children of Israel came and he brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. There was such a chaos that existed there among the people of Israel in the camp where they were camping in the wilderness. So there was a man by the name of Phinehas who was a priest. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it. He rose up from among the congregation and he took a javelin in his hand.

He went after the man of Israel into the tent and he thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman in her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And of this Phinehas we read, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath, God is saying, away from the children of Israel. He was zealous for my sake. Then we read in verse 12, "Wherefore say, behold, I will give unto him," this is Phinehas who is a Levite, "my covenant of peace. And he shall have it and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood."

From there on, the tribe of Levi entered into a covenant with God to have an everlasting priesthood among all the people of Israel. Why am I reading this? It is because the covenant that God made is a covenant where God wanted to give the tribe of Levi the privilege of serving Him, of ministering to God's people. So in the olden days, they were committed to the things of the Lord. But look what happened now. They led Israel astray. They offered the blind, the lame, and the sick. They didn't give honor to the name of the Lord.

They, as it were, despised the temple and dishonored the Lord. Now God is telling to the priests, "You just look back and see how things began. You shall know that I made my covenant with Levi in days of old." So in verse 5 of Malachi chapter 2, the Lord reminded the priests that the covenant that He made was for life and for peace. Look at verse 5, "My covenant was with him," with Levi. "It was a covenant of life, chayim, and of peace, shalom."

I promised him a long life and I promised to give him shalom and blessing. That was the covenant that I made with the tribe of Levi, with your forefathers. I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name. In other words, He's looking back and He saw the faithfulness of Phinehas, the faithfulness of the tribe of Levi in the days where the rest of Israel were worshipping a golden calf. They made a decision for God. They were faithful. They took side with God against themselves, against their flesh, against their own brethren who dishonored Him.

Amazing to see. Where do you see something like that? It is only when one is committing himself and his life to the things of the Lord that he says, "Listen, I have decided to follow Yeshua the Messiah. I want to live for Him. I want to follow Him. I know I will fail many times, but I decided to follow the Lord." So now notice that He continues and He says to them in these next verses, verse 6, the Lord reminds these priests of the godly history of their forefathers. Notice verse 6, it says four things about the priests' forefathers, the Levites.

He says, "The law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and equity and he did turn many away from iniquity." Notice those four things that the Lord is mentioning about the tribe of Levi in the older days. Number one, the law of truth was in his mouth. When he preached and he shared the word with the rest of the nation of Israel, he presented the truth of the word of God. The law of truth, Torat Emet, was in his mouth.

Secondly, notice the same verse 6, not only this, but iniquity was not found in his lips. He was not speaking things that were evil. Iniquity was not found in his lips. Whatever he spoke, you wanted to hear that which would honor God and would give a word of encouragement. His lips were not filled with words that were dishonoring the Lord. Thirdly, notice verse 6. It says, "He walked with me in peace and in equity or uprightness."

He's saying to those priests in the time of Malachi, "You know what? When you look back when I made a covenant with your forefathers, with the tribe of Levi, he walked with me. He walked with me in peace, shalom, as it says here in verse 6 and with uprightness. He was living a godly life. He was honoring me." Fourthly, he says in verse 6 at the end, "And he did turn many away from iniquity." You see, the tribe of Levi was used by the Lord, the Kohanim, the priests, to turn away many who were going in a wrong direction, who were heading away from God.

They brought them back to the things of the Lord. They were used by God in olden days. Malachi speaks on behalf of God to the priests of those days. He says about Levi of old, the fathers of these priests, the tribe of Levi. I love especially the expression at the end, "He turned many away from iniquity." You know, the spiritual leaders of the people of Israel, like the spiritual leaders of the assembly today, they have the privilege and the responsibility to turn people back to the fold, back to the truth, back to the Bible, back to the Lord.

How many people are astray, trying to find satisfaction anywhere else, and they neglect the things of the Lord? I remember many years ago, before I was even a believer, there was a dear brother. I was playing soccer in one of the fields in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and there was one brother who was constantly coming to have a visit with me. He was watching the game, and when I finished the game, he took half an hour with me and sat with me and shared with me the gospel. He took his time and his effort to show me the love of God, that Yeshua was the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world.

Somehow the Lord used him and many others to turn our hearts back to see, wait a minute, that's the truth. It's better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. I need to go back to the word of the Lord. That was the ministry of the priests in those days. They were ministering unto the Lord and the Lord's people by leading people back to the word of God. You know James in the end of his book, he said in chapter 5 verse 19, "Brethren, if any of you err from the truth and another or one convert him or turn him around, let him know that he which converteth or turn back the sinner from an error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins."

What a privilege to be those that are used by the Lord to lead others to salvation on the one hand, but to also be used as a vessel to bring others back to the scripture, back to the word of God. You see, the world tells us, "You don't need God. You don't need Yeshua the Messiah. You don't need the Bible. You don't need to pray. You don't need to come to meetings. Why should you?" That's what the world tells us. That's what Satan does to us.

But the Lord says, "Hey, listen, it is good for you to trust me. It is good for you to read the word. It is good for you to speak with me. It is good for you to turn to me. And I'm going to send my servants to minister to your heart so you will be restored back to me." This is the ministry of the servant of the Lord. What a privilege was the priests' ministry among our own people, the people of Israel. The law of truth was in his mouth. Iniquity was not found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and in uprightness, and he turned many away from iniquity.

One day the Lord will honor those who do so. He will reward those who serve Him because the day is coming, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah. Anything that we have done for the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, He will reward His own people. He is a just God and He will do so. So now Malachi continues and God now declares through Malachi the true ministry of the priest, of the Kohen. Notice verse 7, "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts."

What is the priest's ministry? Well, the priest's lips should keep knowledge. They should share the truth that they have learned from God through His word. Then the result will be that the nation of Israel will seek the law at his mouth. If someone wants to know about the things of God, what God has to say, in Israel he would come to the priest. The priest represents the truth of God to our people, Israel. Eventually, as it says here in verse 7, the priest, the Kohen, is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

This word "messenger" is again the second time where you get in the book of Malachi the word Malakh. Malakh, messenger. Actually, it is the only time in scripture that the word Malakh is applied to a priest, to the Kohen. The word Malakh simply means a messenger. You remember it is the second time because the first one who is called Malakh or Malachi is the servant himself, Malachi the prophet. He's called, as it says in chapter 1 verse 1, the burden of the word of the Lord by Malachi.

This time is the second time in the book of Malachi that the word Malakh is mentioned. Now it is in reference to the priests, to the Kohanim. The job and the ministry of the priest, he is a messenger, a Malakh. He is the messenger of the Lord on behalf of the Lord for the people of Israel. This is the work that the priest was called to do. When he does his work right, the people would seek law at his mouth. "I want to know more about God; I'm going to go to the priest. I want to learn more about the things of the Lord; I'm going to come to the spiritual leaders who can help me spiritually."

We too today, if we want to know some more things about the Lord and we have a question, we usually go to someone who is teaching us the word of God so we can glean some more. Now that does not mean that we don't pray and ask the Lord ourselves, but God gave us leadership in the body of Messiah who will teach and minister the word of God among God's people. Now just to sum it all up in verse 8, He shows them the contrast now. These priests have done exactly the opposite of what their forefathers did.

Notice that in verse 8, "But you are departed out of the way. You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts." While in verse 6 of Malachi chapter 2 He said what the priest, the Levites of old have done, now He is telling them what they have done. The priests in the time of Malachi have done exactly the opposite. Instead of turning people back to God, they caused many to stumble at the law. Instead of speaking the word of God for encouragement and fulfilling the covenant that God made with Levi, they corrupted the covenant that God made with the tribe of Levi.

Look at the sad condition that existed there in the days of Malachi. That's why there are 400 silent years that are coming until the Messiah will finally come and even then, unfortunately and sadly, Israel did not accept Yeshua at His first coming. So here's the final punishment that God gave to the priests in those days, and that is found in verse 9. Look what we read here, "Therefore have I also made you contemptible or despised and base or humiliated before all the people according as you have not kept my ways but have been partial in the law."

In other words, they were partial in dealing with the people of Israel. So here's the verdict. God said to them, "I've also made you despised. You will not be honored by your people. The people of Israel will not respect you because of the manner whereby you have behaved." God despised and He humiliated the priests because they have despised Him and humiliated the name of the Lord Himself. The lesson for us is that we also can learn this and apply this to ourselves.

We need to ask the Lord as well, "Lord, help us, guide us. Raise in our midst godly brothers and godly sisters that can be a good example for us in our lives and help us to be used by You, Lord, to bring honor to Your name and to be a blessing to the people of God." Well, may the Lord bless these thoughts to us all. We have covered today Malachi chapter 2 verses 1 to 9. Can we say amen to that?